Autopiano and analogous musical instrument.



O. E. LYON.

AUTOPIANO AND ANALOGOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

1, 1 05,673, Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

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THE NDRRVIS PETERS 60., PHOTD-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. C.

O. E. LYON.

AUTOPIANO AND ANALOGOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLTOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

1, 105,673, Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNE s Q Q INVENTOR gfl THE NORRIS PETERS cow, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE EDW'ABD LYON, D33 NORBU'RY, ENGLAND.

AUTOPIANO AND ANALOGOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE EDwARo LYON, residing at 1 King Edward VII Parade, Norbury, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in and Relating to Autopianos and Analogous Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements 1n autopianos and analogous musical instruments, and comprises improvements in the construction and disposition of the music rollers and duct bar (commonly known as the tracker box), and has for its object to enable said tracker box to be fitted to pianofortes of the upright type, however small, without building out the casework of same and with a minimum of alteration of said casework, and particularly to those in which an overdamper action e. the mechanism for damping the strings arranged above the striking hammers) is employed, and where the space between the top of the damper rail and the underside of the piano top or lid is too small to allow the usual form of tracker box to be fitted.

According to the present invention, the tracker box is made in two parts, one of which carries one of the music rollers and the duct or tracker bar and the other part carries the other music roller. One of these parts is adapted to be fixed in the case of the piano in the space above the hammers and dampers in such a manner that it does not project above the top of the case and so interfere wit-h the top lid being closed down, and the other part is provided with means whereby it can be readily fixed in its proper position relative to the fixed part when it is desired to complete the tracker box ready for use, and when not in use is capable of being stored either alongside the fixed part, 'i. 6. end on to it, or in any other convenient place within the case of the piano, the necessary gearing and controlling devices being such that the parts will mesh and connect together automatically when the two parts of the tracker box are brought into their relative operative positions.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustratesby way of example-one method of carrying this invention into practice: Figures 1 and 2 are views in front and side elevation of the tracker box ready for use, Fig. 3 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed August 10, 1912.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914. Serial No. 714,488.

view in front elevation of the tracker box separated into two parts, and Figs. 4c, 5, and 6 are views-on a reduced scaleshowing the application of the invention to an upright piano, the dotted lines showing the positions of the separable part of the tracker box, of the top lid of the piano, and the front folding panel when the tracker box is being used.

Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.

In the construction illustrated the part a of the tracker box adapted to be fixed in the case of the piano carries the lower roller (Z hereinafter called the unwinding roller and the tracker or duct bar 6, and the other or separable part a carries the upper roller c-hereinafter called the music roller, the bearings for the spindle (Z of the unwinding roller (Z being carried by the end members o and those for the spindle 0 of the music roller 0 being carried by the end members a. The two parts a and a are hinged together transversely at one end so as to allow the upper part a carrying the music roller 0 to be folded either so as to lie on the top of the lower part a carrying the ductbar Z) and the winding roller (Z so as to complete same for use, or so as to lie alongside, 2'. 6. end on to, said fixed part within the case and allow the top lid to be folded down. If the two parts of the tracker box are not hinged together a suitable receptacle or guide is provided in the case of the piano to receive and retain the detachable or separate part.

To enable the two parts to be separated and brought together when desired the two rollers c and (Z are geared together by spur gearing. A convenient construction is that illustrated, which comprises a shaft (Z mounted on the part a of the box above the center of the spindle (Z of the unwinding roller (Z, a slidable pinion (Z thereon adapted to be brought into mesh with spur wheel (Z on the spindle (Z The shaft (P, which is driven from the driving mechanism in any convenient manner, is geared with the spindle c of the music roll 0 by spur wheels 6Z5, 6 and 0 the intermediate wheel 6 being mounted on a stud axle located be tween the spindle c of the music roll and the shaft (F. The wheel (Z 011 the shaft (Z is loosely mounted thereon and is provided with the usual clutch mechanism for coupling said wheel to said shaft and atthe same time for throwing the pinion (P out of gear With the Wheel cl. In the construction illustrated the shaft (Z is adapted to be drii'en by a chain, but a pneumatic or other drive may be employed. Itwill be seen that the fitting of this tracker box to an existing piano only involves the sawing-out of a small piece of the top door and hinging same so as to form a flap door a to expose the unwinding music roller.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is An upright player piano having an opening above the piano action, a roll-box above the piano action comprising upper and lower longitudinal sections hingedly connected together to allow one section to be disposed endwise to the other section, one section being fixed Within the casing and the other section forming a closure for the fixed section, said sections containing the upper and lower rolls, respectively, said upper section extending above the case when in operative position and movableinto the case through said opening to inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE EDIVARD LYON.

IVitnesses A. MILLWARD FLAGK, G. V. SYMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

